Chapter 162

Airport.

The plane bound for New Zealand soared into the sky.

After taking Britney's precious first time, Martin concluded this "vacation."

Upon returning to the set, he was warmly greeted by Peter.

"Martin, your idea of starting an online war is brilliant. We don't even need to do much now. The buzz is already building."

"With the Elf incident and the back-and-forth with Britney's fans, I'm sure the popularity will last all the way until Lord of the Rings is released."

Yes, the online uproar was Martin's doing. With his deep understanding of Chinese marketing strategies, he knew exactly how to stir the pot online. In this era, when digital marketing was still in its infancy, Martin had become the master of the "navy"—the king of online publicity!

"Once the heat dies down, we'll bring out that idiot Justin for a three-way online battle on One Six Zero, making sure the buzz doesn't fade before the movie's release."

"By the way, we can release some stills from the set, along with behind-the-scenes shots you took."

"That should be enough for now. The real push will happen after the movie premieres."

Peter Jackson nodded in agreement.

In front of Martin, Peter often felt like a student, constantly learning new tricks.

The next day, after returning to New Zealand, Martin didn't join the main group but instead agreed to an exclusive interview with The Wellington Daily News.

The interview was similar to the one he'd done with the Los Angeles Daily News, mainly confirming Martin's involvement in the controversial "New Zealand Elf Incident" that had recently made headlines.

The day after that, Martin returned to the set to resume filming.

Today's shoot was an important sequence in the film: the Battle of Paliano Plains.

The Dark Lord Sauron had set his sights on Minas Tirith, the last stronghold of mankind and the capital of Gondor.

The warriors of Aragorn, Gandalf, Gondor, and Rohan, as well as Legolas and his elves, were gathering for the decisive battle.

They were determined to stop the Dark Lord's invasion right here!

In the original timeline, Legolas' most iconic moment came during this battle—standing on the trunk of a mammoth, flipping and shooting arrows in the air.

However, in this version of The Lord of the Rings, it was difficult to say which moment stood out the most. The film was filled with so many incredible scenes that it could easily be rebranded as The Adventures of the Handsome Elf Prince.

For this scene, huge mammoth props had been constructed, and they looked incredibly realistic.

Martin held the fake mammoth's tusks, bouncing on them a few times to test their sturdiness.

"Looks like it can handle my weight without any issues."

"Martin, do you want to use a stand-in?" Peter asked, a little concerned.

"No, I need you to capture my face. Have you checked the wires?"

"We've checked them repeatedly," Peter assured him.

"Okay, let's get started."

Peter Jackson stopped trying to persuade him. He knew Martin was stubborn about these things, and there was no point in arguing.

Back at the director's monitor, Peter Jackson saw Martin giving a "ready" signal. Peter grabbed the walkie-talkie.

"All departments, take your places! Ready to begin!"

With the help of the rigging team, Martin "flew" onto the mammoth's tusks. The mammoth's head, controlled by internal machinery, swung violently, and its massive tusks raised toward the sky.

The team in charge of the rigging started pulling the wires as Martin took advantage of the motion to leap backward in mid-air. Half-turning, he drew a bow and released an arrow.

"Okay, that's a wrap on this shot."

Peter Jackson had expected the scene to be more difficult and dangerous, but Martin had pulled it off effortlessly. He couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.

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TL/N: I have removed a small part of the scene at the end of this chapter and the start of Chapter 163, for a reason you very well know. China Number One, Mc love for chinese culture, btw nothing happened in China in April 1989?]